The “Culture as Map” Metaphor

Printed Page 18

Other researchers think of culture as a map. In this metaphor, culture is an ongoing process—rather than a vertically organized structure—that accommodates diverse tastes. Cultural phenomena, including media—printed materials we read, movies and TV programs we watch, songs and radio shows we listen to—can take us to places that are conventional, recognizable, stable, and comforting. They can also take us to places that are innovative, unfamiliar, unstable, and challenging.

Human beings are attracted to both consistency and change, and cultural media researchers have pointed out that most media can satisfy both of those desires. For example, a movie can contain elements that are familiar to us (such as particular plots) as well as elements that are completely new and strange (such as a cinematic technique we’ve never seen before).